ROCKHILL, William Woodville

ROCKHILL, William Woodville. Philadelphia, Pa. 1.4.1854 — Honolulu 8.12.1914. U.S. Diplomat, Traveller, Sinologist, and Tibetan Scholar. Lost his father when 1§3 and the mother settled in Paris to avoid the Civil War. Studies in Paris, in 1873 graduated from the military academy of St.Cyr. Apparently also studied Tibetan under Feer. In 1883 lived in Montreux, Switzerland. In 1884-88 served at U.S. Legation in Peking (in 1886-87 in Soul). In 1888 and 1891-92 expeditions in China and Tibet for Smithsonian Institute. In 1893-97 served in governent offices at home. In 1897-99 Ambassador extraordinary and Minister plenipotentiary for Greece, Rumania and Serbia, then, after some years at home, in 1905-09 same for China, 1910-11 for Russia and 1911-13 for Turkey. Retired from service in 1913. Married 1876 with Caroline Tyson. Fell ill and died during a voyage from San Francisco to China.

– The Land of the Lamas. Notes of a Journey through China, Mongolia and Tibet. 407 p. N.Y. 1891; Notes on the Ethnology of Tibet. 1895.

– Diary of a Journey through Mongolia and Tibet in 1891 and 1892. Washington 1894.

– Notes on the Ethnology of Tibet: Based on the Collections in the U.S. National Museum. 83 p. 1895.

– Translated: The Journey of William of Rubruck to the Eastern Parts of the World, 1253-55: As Narrated by Himself, with Two Accounts of the Earlier Journey of John of Pian de Carpine. 304 p. L. Hakluyt Soc. 1900.

– The Dalai Lamas of Lhasa and their relations with the Manchu emperors of China, 1644–1908. 95 p. Leiden 1910.

– Translated with Fr. Hirth: Chao Ju kua: His Work on the Chinese and Arab Trade in the 12th and 13th centuries, entitled Chu Fan Chï. 1912.